


A New Chapter

by istanraven



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-20
Updated: 2019-04-20
Packaged: 2020-01-22 22:28:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18536728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/istanraven/pseuds/istanraven
Summary: Selina gets to the airport in time.





	A New Chapter

Selina,

I have made a decision that leaving Gotham is what I have to do to keep it and you safe. All I’ve done is cause you harm, and I sometimes let myself wish we’d never met, so you wouldn’t have gone through all the pain you’ve gone through and continue to go through because of me. But Selina, knowing you has made me who I am today. I would still be the ignorant, cowardly, scared boy I was had it not been for your courage and strength that inspired me to become someone stronger. I'm not sure how long I’ll be gone, but I know I won’t be coming back soon. I need you to understand that I have to do this, I have to go and I can’t return until I know I can protect you and Alfred and everyone else in this city. I’ll be leaving to the airport now, so you won’t receive this until I’m out of Gotham. I wanted to tell you all this in person, but you would’ve made me want to stay, and I knew seeing you would’ve convinced me to. Selina I want you to know something I should’ve told you a long time ago, in person. I know this doesn’t mean as much as it would saying it out loud but I have to let you know before I leave. I’m in love with you. No amount of years I spend away from you will ever change that. 

Sincerely,  
Bruce 

\---

Every step was one closer to getting onto that plane. Every step was one further away from Gotham, from Alfred. Every step in its wake, brought one more crack onto his already shattering heart. He’d left her behind, he’d left her and couldn't even build up the courage to tell her in person. Because he knew she’d be the one person in this city that would make him want to stay. 

The wind had picked up, blowing some of his curls in front of his face, he took one last glance at Alfred, watching him lean onto the side of the car, his arms crossed. He continued to watch as Alfred brought a hand up to his forehead in the form of a salute, Bruce smiled lightly before reciprocating the movement. Leaving him behind felt like he was losing a huge support in his life, he’d been his second father. The next few years or however long he would be gone would be a struggle, although he’d already known that when he’d made his decision.

It was right before he set his foot on the steps to lead up into the plane, that he heard her voice.

“Bruce!”

He froze, and he felt the last shard make it mark onto his heart, completely breaking it to pieces now scattered across the cement below. She sounded like she was a few feet away, like she’d just gotten there and had ran to where Bruce had stood a few moments before. Her shouts were carried across the walls, echoing into the open air by the plane, where Bruce could hear every word breaking every single ounce of restraint he had left. 

She’d read his letter. 

“You were just going to leave on your plane, leave Gotham, and not even bother to tell me to my face?” He could hear her breaths heavy, like she had ran there. “After everything we’ve been through together, I wasn’t deserving of an explanation in person?”

She sounded dejected, defeated, a heavy waver to her words and Bruce’s grip on the railing to the stairs tightened, his fingers almost turning white. This is what he didn’t want, he didn’t want to see her face, he didn’t want to see the pain he would cause or the confusion. She’d gotten closer now and Bruce was fighting himself not to turn around, if he would just get onto the plane, this would be easier, he could leave and become who he needed to become. But the longer he could feel her presence behind him, the weaker his restraints became. He heard her scoff loudly, and the sound of her steps told Bruce that she was coming closer, “You don’t even have the decency to turn around and look at me now.” She shouted.

The wind blew mercilessly around them as if it could feel the swirling mess of emotions and pain flowing through both of them. Bruce’s grip lessened on the railing and he did something he knew would change everything. 

He turned around.

She was standing a few feet away from him, and he immediately spotted the piece of paper gripped in her right hand. His gaze quickly flew back up to her face, she looked furious, but he could spot through small glimpses, the pain rippling across her face and burning in her eyes. She quickly brushed away the curls that had fallen in front of her face before she stepped closer to him. 

“If you meant anything you said in this letter, you would have said it to my face.” She spat out, lifting the letter, before dropping her hand back to her side. 

“Please, don’t make this harder for me than it already is.” He said, his voice cracking slightly. 

“Harder for you than it already is, Bruce?” She let out a laugh devoid of any humor before taking another step towards him. “Do you want to know what I felt reading your letter? I felt like my entire world was crashing to the ground. Wanna know why? Because you’re the only person in this hell of a city that has given a damn about me, who has cared about me, stayed by my side. And you think this is only hard for you?” Her eyes were shining with unshed tears before she opened her mouth again to speak, but nothing came out. She closed her eyes tightly and he saw her chest continue to rise and fall heavily before looking back up at him again. “You’re all I have, Bruce.” 

His mouth opened slightly as he tried to say anything, anything besides nothing. But he couldn’t even begin to form rational thoughts, especially a sentence that would be fitting to reply to Selina to in this moment. He found himself desperately wanting to run to her, pull her closer to him and promise her that he’d never leave her, and mean it. 

But he knew he couldn’t. 

“I have to do this, Selina. I can’t keep putting everyone I care about in danger, you and Alfred could have died through this, you could have died countless times before. I have to know I can come back to Gotham and be strong enough to protect both of you, because I always seem to bring death and pain everywhere I go.”

“We can protect ourselves.” She said, shaking her head slightly, her brows creased. 

“I know that.” He said. “I also know that you wouldn't need to be prepared to protect yourselves had it not been for me and the destruction I bring into everyone’s lives.”

She was watching him now, the wind continuing to blow around her curls. He saw her let out a breath before shaking her head. 

“We chose this, Bruce. We chose this no matter the consequences. Do you really think I would have stayed by your side today, or any day for that matter, if I didn’t think I might die fighting for you?” She questioned, her eyes burning into him. “The truth, Bruce, is that I wouldn’t change anything, I’d go into every mission, every near death, every fight again. I wouldn’t change anything because these past five years have given me a purpose, fighting by your side brought me a purpose.” 

She stopped for a second, her gaze switching to the side like she was trying to avoid his eyes. “I would have gladly fought by your side for the rest of my life, but you didn’t even give me that choice.”

He unconsciously took a step closer to her before stopping himself. This is why he didn’t want to see her before he left. He found himself wanting to stay in Gotham, wanting to stay with Selina more than he’s ever had in his entire life. He took a step back and saw the pain flash through her eyes. 

She took this as his answer, she took this as his final decision to leave her.

He watched her fist tighten on the letter gripped in her hand before she walked over to him, stopping when she stood right in front of him, close enough to where Bruce could see the outline of a tear that had fallen down her cheek even through the darkness. Her gaze flickered across his face, softening for a moment, before turning back into burning anger. He watched as her breathing began to quicken before she turned her head to look out at the city behind them. The next time she’d looked at him, he could almost feel the pure agony reminiscent on her face, with the unshed tears in her eyes. 

“Keep your damn letter,” she said, slamming the piece of paper into his chest. “None of it meant anything to me anyways.” 

She took one more glance at him, the wind kept blowing, moving her curls slightly, before she turned around, heading back to the airport door, heading back to Gotham, further and further away from Bruce. He quickly shoved the paper into his pocket, before looking back over at her retreating figure. He’d seen her walk away from him time and time again, and he’d deserved it each time. He deserved it more than anything right now. But watching she walked away now, he felt an agonizing pain burning through his entire body. He’d been prepared to leave her behind before, he’d been ready to climb up those steps, get into the plane and leave Gotham, leave her no matter how much pain it caused him. But he couldn’t now. He couldn’t watch her walk away, and get into the plane knowing fully well that he will probably never see her again. He couldn't get into that plane to leave the one person who has stuck by his side for the past five years, who had brought him out of the darkness he’d been thrown into as a child. 

She had been the light to lead him to happiness and hope. She would always be the light. 

That's why he didn't stop himself from yelling her name, watching as she spun around, her eyes widening, he could see the tears falling down her cheeks even from a distance. Without even a single moment of hesitation, he ran to her, watching the hope glimmer across her face. 

“Wha-” She managed to choke out as he’d reached her.

She suddenly stopped when Bruce pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her tightly, burying his face into her shoulder. She froze for a moment before grasping onto him tightly, both of them letting out choked gasps of relief, being back in each others arms. The wind continued to whip around them furiously, but Bruce had never felt so at peace. He knew in that moment that she would always bring him that stability, she would always be what made him the best form of himself. That’s why he threw out all previous notions and doubts, fears, and said what would change the course of his life forever. 

“Come with me.” He murmured, as he pulled away slightly to watch her reaction. She remained unphased for moment before parting her lips slightly.

“What?” 

“I want you to come with me, Selina. I lied in the letter, I don’t have to leave you behind, you’re what’s going to make me strong enough to come back to this city.” She hadn’t said a word, just staring at him through her burning green eyes. “I get that this city is your home and-”

“Bruce,” She said, her eyes flickering across his face. “I’ll come with you to wherever the hell you want to go.” 

As they started on their way to the jet, Bruce looked back into the hanger in hopes that Alfred hadn’t left. He was still stationed by the car, smiling proudly at Bruce before nodding slightly. He didn’t have to say anything, Bruce knew what he meant.

And as the plane took off into the sky and Bruce looked out into the city below, he knew he’d left something behind. Both of them had. 

Their childhoods ended that day, remaining in the debris of Wayne Manor where they’d thrown bagels at each other and shared a kiss on the couch. Where he had first met her, thinking she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen, holding one of their vases. Their childhoods remained in the small alleys of the narrows where they had run through, on missions or throughout Bruce’s time spent living with Selina, sewing her jacket and cooking canned meals. Their childhoods ran through Gotham, although most of it had been dark, both having their fair share of tragedies and pain, they found light in each other. 

He felt Selina’s finger intertwine with his and he turned to look at her. She was smiling softly at him, her eyes glowing lightly and Bruce felt something he usually always did feel with Selina, it never occurred to him what it was until then, hope. Hope that things from now on would get better, that they would grow stronger, forming something that would make them prepared to return when Gotham needed them. 

They were leaving that period in their lives behind, letting those years in their life end. Wherever they were going now, they would find the beginning of who they were meant to become. Later they would return to Gotham, changing the memories of their childhood into the past, and in their place, creating a new chapter in their lives for the both of them, together.


End file.
